This crispy and golden Fried Sandwich has a classic fast-food staple taste but made right at home. Seasoned fried cod fillets dipped in a light and airy batter that’s shallow fried until crispy served in a toasted soft bun oozing with creamy tartar sauce, cabbage slaw and some buttery pickles. 

When your craving a nice big crunchy sandwich that’s not another burger or fried chicken sandwich- this is what you should have! All those pregnancy meals and takeout nights it was time I made my own. This couldn’t be easier and it’s pretty quick too. From prepping the fish, to dipping it in the batter and into the hot pan it all happens in under 10 minutes. 

HOW TO GET STARTED

For this recipe I decided to shallow fry the fish. Why not I am wasting a lot less oil and I’ve got the extra 5 minutes to stand there and flip the pieces. My go-to oil is canola oil. It’s a great oil for frying and super affordable. Of course the colour it yields is a little on the lighter side when frying chicken or fish but the results are the same. I like to use my trusty cast iron skillet which heats really quickly and is made to hold larger amounts of oil. Oil is really the best way to get that thick crunchy outside layer. You just can’t replicate that in the air-fryer or oven. I like to get the oil going in the pan on medium-low heat that way it doesn’t pass 350 degrees when I’m ready to drop the fish in and I can get started on prepping the fish. 

FOR THE FISH

Next thing is to prepare the fish fillets. I like to use cod because it’s probably the best tasting white fish I can source in my area but it also holds the batter well and fried nicely. My second option would be halibut and any other white fish that’s not frozen. Use a paper towel to pat it dry and season with sides with some Old Bay, dried parsley, oregano, garlic and onion powder. 

For the batter my go-to is always all-purpose flour with a bit of cornstarch and some baking powder. I always use the same seasoning spices that im using for my protein and add those in. There needs to be an element of carbonation so that it gets light and airy in this case I am using soda water which is lower in calories so it’s a great alternative to beer and it gives the same effect as a beer batter. Other options are beer of course, ginger ale however it has a higher sugar content or vodka.   Now I’ve never tried vodka but I have read and seen it used many times paired with soda water. 

CABBAGE SLAW

I am back and forth between slaw and shredded green lettuce. For a more drive-thru feel the shredded green lettuce is a better fit and of course saves some prep time. But if you feel like making a coleslaw this one is made a little healthier with Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise and it’s paired with a little rice wine vinegar, mustard, warmed honey and ground pepper. Toss everything together and let it chill a bit so that the ingredients have time to rest and come together and some of that flavour soaks into the cabbage. 

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Print Recipe

Fried Fish Sandwich

Crispy fried fish sandwich served in a toasted soft bun with tangy tartar sauce, creamy cabbage slaw and buttery pickles.

Servings: 4

Author: the communal feast

Ingredients

• 4 3 inch pieces of cod filets
• 2 TBS Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 TBS dried parsley
• 1 TBS dried oregano
• 1 TBS garlic powder
• 1 TBS onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 222 ml can soda water
• vegetable oil for frying
• 4 soft white buns such as potato, hamburger, ciabatta
• Toppings:
• Tartar sauce
• pickle slices
• cabbage slaw see notes

Instructions

• In a large frying pan such as cast iron skillet, heat the frying oil. Add enough oil to shallow fry each side of the filet (roughly halfway up the battered fish) or to fully submerge if deep frying.
• Cut fish filets into 4 even pieces and pat dry with a paper towel. Combine the Old Bay, dried parsley, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder and salt and pepper. Season the fish with the spice mixture and reserve the remainder for the dredge.
• In a shallow bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder and remaining spices. Whisk in the soda water until the mixture resembles a thick pancake batter. Once the oil reaches 350 degrees F, dredge both sides of the fish by dipping into the batter and slowly dropping into the hot oil. Fry 4 minutes a side until crispy and golden brown. Remove to a wire rack and pat dry if needed.
• To assemble: butter both sides of the bun and warm in a pan or the oven until slightly toasted. Drizzle some tartar sauce on both sides, place the fried fish fillet on the bottom bun and dress with the cabbage slaw. Finish with pickles and Enjoy!

Notes

Cabbage slaw: 2 cups mixed shredded cabbage, 1 TBS rice wine vinegar, 1 TBs yellow mustard, 1 TBS warm honey, 1/2 tsp ground pepper, 1/3 cup greek yogurt. Combine all the ingredients together tossing until fully mixed. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.